Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-21
rnn necessity Of proper filtration Of


THE necessity of proper filtration of
water used for domestic purposes is
every day becoming more apparent as
the race advances in knowledge and
wisdom. Los Angeles has heretofore
complained of the lack of clarity of
the water used tor domestic purposes,
but since the completion of the con-
duit from the gravel beds of Crystal
Springs by the City Water Company
to the city reservoirs, there has been
NO complaint except for few days in
the early part of the month, when
the Rume from Crystal Springs gave
way and water had to be turned in
from the river, as of old, while the
flume was being repaired. Had the
proposed settling pond of ten acres
been in use as is contemplated by the
City Water Company, there would
have been no necessity for the use OF
roiiy water for single day, for there
would have been large supply of
clear water, properly oxygenated by
exposure to the. wind, and properly
clarified by precipitation. At least
week should be occupied in giving
water chance to precipitate the min
eral matter held in solution when it
emerges from the earth before it is
used for domestic purposes. When
the first Pasadena reservoir was made
and the water turned into it, the fluid
seemed to be the perfection of purity,
and most delicious to the taste, but
after a few weeks use Of the reservoir
ss q storage pond the water was
drawn off and the bottom OF the
reservoir found to be covered with a
whitish mineral substance that had
been released by exposure of the wa
ter to the action OF the atmosphere,
which had released certain
amount Of carbonic acid gas,
chat held this mineral matter
invisibly in solution in what appeared
TO be the purest and most delicious
of water. In France the most careful
experiments have been made with
water from artesian wells. and it has
been demonstrated that where peo-
pie used water direct from such wells
. certain class of diseases was preva-
lent continually, but when the water
had been exposed in reservoirs to the
action of the wind and sun before its
use the diseases disappeared. These
facts are of the utmost Importance to
the people and should be kept con-
tinually in mind. The plan of the
City Water Company, in preparing a
settling pond for the water used in
the city for domestic purposes, is
founded in the most profound and en-
lightened wisdom and will be a bless
ing to mankind. With this import
ant addition by the company to the
present system, the water used in
Los Angeles will be most admirable.
1t is to be hoped that there will be no
distractions thrown in the way OF
this great and essential Improvement.
But while fault is found at present
with the water used in Los Angeles
in times of freshets or accidents to
the conduits, it may be we'll to see
how much better we are off in that
regard than the people of other cities.
As sample of the impurity OF water
used by great cities, take the case OF
the city OF Wheeling, West Virginia
DIR. J. w. Mccoy, in letter to the
Sanitary Era, says Of the water used
by the people OF that city, which is
taken from the Ohio river:
s'The great am cunt OF organic mat
ter pumped into our reservoir, and
consumed by the people OF this city
daily, is truly frightful. The first
source OF contamination of our water
supply is the extensive vault of the
Top mill, where five or six hundred
men are employed. The vault is sit
uated on the river bank, and its con-
tents are washed Immediately by
flowing stream into the river, and
pumped up into our reservoir daily
to make tea and coffee for the citizens
of Wheeling. The next great source
of contamination is Mount Wood, an
extensive cemetery, where Wheeling
has buried her dead for forty-five
years, and their remains are now
rapidly passing into the river by the
sloping west side of the cemetery and
through Jonathan's ravine on tue
north. Besides, the coal has been
taken from under the whole cemetery,
and the old mines are constantly dis
charging their putrid contents, that
percolate from above. into the river
four or five squares above the point
from which our supply is pumped up
for drinking water. Now we rever-
ence Mount Wood, we honor every
grave, we walk with silent and rever-
ential awe about the last resting
places OF our departed friends, we do
more, very much more, we drink the
wastings and DRAWINGS from their
cemetery every day of our lives.